Located at 1530 N Cooper St just south of I-30, Tom’s Burgers & Grill has been an Arlington family-run classic since 2006. 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How a UT-Arlington Engineer Turned an Old Denny’s Into a 20-Year Arlington Diner Classic

Tom Jones has a UT-Arlington engineering degree and a story most restaurant owners do not. He was pulling down good money in sales, got fed up with it, and spent months eating his way through North Texas with his wife, Jessica, studying what makes a burger worth driving for. Then he bought an old Denny’s on the south side of I-30 and turned it into a chrome passenger car of a diner, complete with swivel chairs and soda counters. That was 2006. Twenty years later, Tom’s Burgers & Grill is still at 1530 N. Cooper Street, still family-run, and Tom still signs his posts with “-Tom.”

Those awards are not the whole point, though. The point is the room: a 1950s diner with a modern kick, kids in high chairs at one table, a couple fueling up before a Cowboys game at the next, and breakfast served all day. Sit anywhere near AT&T Stadium or Globe Life Field and you are just five minutes away from it.

What to Order

• The Sweet Heat Burger: Start with their multi-award winner. It is a 1/3-pound patty stacked with jalapeño bacon, white cheddar, garlic aioli, and spicy bacon jam, and it is the burger people mention by name in reviews going back years.
• Hand-Cut Beer-Battered Onion Rings: The onion rings deserve their own spotlight: hand-cut, beer-battered, and served with a house-made dipping sauce that regulars in local foodie groups say cannot be beat.
• Ruffles-Crusted Chicken Fried Steak: If you are in a chicken-fried-steak mood, order the Ruffles potato chip-encrusted version, which arrives topped with jalapeño bacon gravy.
• Thursday Cajun Shrimp-n-Grits: Thursday is Shrimp-n-Grits day, featuring creamy, cheesy grits with andouille sausage under pan-seared Cajun shrimp.
• All-Day Breakfast & Banana Pudding: Breakfast regulars swear by the Chicken Fried Steak & Eggs and the corned beef hash, and the homemade banana pudding closes the meal right.